Hearing Voices S2 E1

Have you ever wondered what it's like to hear voices? In this mesmerising episode, Leon Fernandes is joined by Ruah Grace who talked about her life-long experience of hearing voices. A deeply spiritual character, Ruah recently departed this life after suffering a short illness. This episode is dedicated with love, to Ruah, her partner, family, and friends.

Ruah’s voices took on many guises from warm and loving, to sinister and deadly. 

A lived-experience advocate in mental health, Ruah reflected on her Māori-Irish heritage, childhood sexual abuse and psychiatric drug treatments. Ruah characterised her voices as ‘glorious intruders’ and explained their spiritual, cultural, and familial significance.

An Indigenous Māori, Ruah was connected by blood to the tribes of Ngati Awa, Te Arawa and Ngapuhi. A proud member of the rainbow community, Ruah described herself as, “..queer, transfemme, pan/demi romantic, relationship anarchist, writer, artist, musician and one of the mystical and beloved children of The Great Mother/The Divine Feminine.”

If you'd like some further support or information about hearing voices, there are a number of organisations and resources available to you.

The Hearing Voices Network is an international network of people who hear voices, see visions, or have or have other unusual perceptions, and their allies. They provide resources and information developed by and for voice hearers as well as for allies and professionals who many or may not  hear voices:  https://www.hearing-voices.org/tag/australia/

There are groups around Australia that are run by and for people who hear voices. These groups provide peer support, dealing with ways that people navigate hearing voices with or without medication.

Australian Hearing Voices Network Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AustHVN/

Intervoice (International Hearing Voices Projects) is a charity, registered in the UK, that aims to support the International Hearing Voices Movement by connecting people, sharing ideas, distributing information, highlighting innovative initiatives, encouraging high quality respectful research and promoting its values across the world.It contains a number of resources and links to groups in Australia
https://www.intervoiceonline.org/about-us#content

Doug Holmes, valued members of our IAMF! advisory group, is also Chairperson of Hearing Voices Network in NSW. He beautifully articulates his experiences of hearing voices here: https://wayahead.org.au/hearing-voices-doug-holmes/

IAMF! is supported by the Mental Health Commission of NSW.

Content warning -
Interviews include explicit language and feature topics such as depression, stigma and suicide. We acknowledge that this content may be difficult and we encourage listeners to take care of their safety and well-being.

Help is available -
Lifeline - call 13 11 14
Suicide Callback Service - call 1300 659 467 / suicidecallbackservice.org.au

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